Window lock



R. F. EVANS March 29, 1949.

WINDOW LO CK Filed May 27, 1946 10 EN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW LOCK Roy F. Evans, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 27, 1946, Serial No. 672,554

6 Claims.

This invention relates to window locks and has for its main object to provide a simple, easily operated device for the sashes of double-hung windows so that they cannot be moved in the window frame, especially from the outside.

Another object of the invention is to provide a window lock for the sashes of double-hung windows whereby the sashes can be readily separated, i, e., the lower sash can be lowered or the upper sash raised, but said sashes cannot be moved to increase the window opening without release of the lock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a window lock whereby both sashes of a doublehung window can be locked to provide both a top and bottom opening in the window frame, and whereby said openings may be adjusted for size to obtain desired ventilation of a room.

My invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of' construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only,

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a fragmentary inside face view of a double-hung window with the lock of the present invention in operative position, a portion of the lock being broken away for clearer illustration.

Fig, 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, as seen from the right side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the lock7 as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

A typical double-hung window is shown in the drawing, said window including an inner lower sash 5, an outer upper sash 6, the stile 1 of a window frame, and a strip 8 secured to the stile and forming slide grooves 9 and I0 for the sashes and 6, respectively.

The window lock which is illustrated and is mounted on the inner side of the outer upper sash 6 comprises, generally, a Xed guide member I I, a wedge I2 formed as a housing comprising a back I3 and a tapered or wedge-shaped body I4, latch dogs I5 carried by the wedge I2 and engageable with the guide member Il, a releasing 2 latch I6 for effecting release of the Wedge with respect to the guide member, and a spring I'I for normally holding said latch in non-operating position until the latter is manually moved to retract the latch dogs and effect the mentioned release of the wedge and guide member.

The guide member I I comprises a strip approximately half again as long as shown in the drawing. The strip is formed with a back I8 and side inwardly bent flanges I9 to provide side guides for the wedge I2. As shown, the side edges of the strip are formed wtih a series of generally uniformly spaced openings 20 provided by cutting spaced portions of the strip. A shoulder 2| defines the upper extent of each opening 20. At least each end of the member I I is secured to the sash 6 as by screws 22.

The back i3 of the wedge I2 comprises a generally at plate 23 which is formed with side flanges 24 adapted to be inwardly bent toward each other to clamp the body I4. Each flange 24 is interrupted to provide a space 25 intermediate the length of the back. Along the vertical center of the plate 23, an intermediate portion thereof is sheared and inwardly bent to provide a lue 26.

The body i 4 of the wedge is formed with a sloping Wall 21, wedge-shaped side walls 28 bent therefromand flanges 29 outwardly turned from the walls 28. Said flanges 29 are adapted to be clamped between the plate 23 and the flanges 24 of the said plate to provide the wedge I4. An opening 3D is formed in each wall 28 and the flanges 29 are interrupted in alignment with the spaces 25. The lower end of the body I4 has close proximity to the back I3 and slopes upwardly and outwardly therefrom to terminate in an upper wall 3I directed toward the back but spaced therefrom to form a slot 32 in which the releasing latch I6 operates.

The latch i6 comprises a plate 33 which resides in the body of the wedge and has an upwardy extending portion that is outwardly bent at 34 to provide a hand grasping handle. Said plate, along its vertical center, is formed with an elongated slot or opening 35 to provide upper and lower abutments related to the lug 26 which projects through the slot as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. Upwardly of the slot 35, a portion of the plate 33 is sheared and inwardly struck to form a spring anchor 36. Upstanding side anges 31 are integrally formed along the sides of the plate 33 and a space 38 in general register with the openings 30 is provided in each flange 31.

The latch dogs I5 are two in number, are alike and are mounted to pivot on the lug 26 and extend in opposite directions through the spaces 38, the openings 30 and the opening 20. Each latch dog I5 comprises a flat member which is reducingly tapered toward its outer end and is preferably curved as shown.

The spring Il is connected between the lug 2b and the anchor 36 and, therefore, normally des presses the latch I6 to bring the upper abutment of the slot 35 against the lug 25 and thereby bring the upper edges 39 of the iianges 3l, as dened by the openings 38, below the dogs as best seen in Fig. 1.

In practice, the guide member II is secured as shown to the upper sash 6 and the wedge I2 is slid into said guide member from the top. This is easily accomplished by grasping the body I4' and moving the wedge downwardly since the projecting portions of. the dogs I5 -will merely ratchet pastthe uncut portions 4l) between the openings 20.

In use, the desired opening of the window when locked, is determined and the wedge I2 is positioned accordingly along the length of the guide member II. Either the top sash is slid down the bottom sash is slid up, or both sashes are slid toward each other to cause the rail 4I of the bottom sash 5 to encounter the sloping wall 2l. An outward separation of the sashes results causing them to be irictionally jammed in their grooves Il and I and making'it impossible to move said sashes until released. When the wedge |12` is encountered by the rail 4I, the wedge I2y will be moved upwardly bodily until the dogs I abut the portions d0 immediately above the openings 2li through which they project. The dogs I5 are each eiectively confined by the portion 40 on one side and the edge 39 and the lower edge 42 ofthe opening 30 on the other side. The windows., are, therefore, effectively locked to each other and to the window frame.

By moving the windows to release the engagement of the lower sash with the wedge, the latter is freed for a downward adjustment as described. However, when upward adjustment is desired, by holdingV the handle 3d of the latch I 6 and moving the wedge downwardly, the spring I1 is stretched and the lower abutment encounters the lug 26.

The edges 39, during this relative movement, lift f the dogs which pivot on the lug 26 and are retracted from the spaces 2U. Upon release of the parts, the spring I1 becomes effective to spread or project the dogs in those spaces 2EI with which they have been adjustably aligned. Now, by moving the rail ll into wedging engagement with the wall 21, the window is locked.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I, therefore, do not Wish to restrict myself to the particular form. of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail myself of all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thusA described my invention, what I cla-im and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In :a window lock, a wedge member Cornprising a housing having a sloping wall, a pivot lugin the housing, a pair of latch dogs on said lugand oppositely directed to project through side openings inthe housing, a plate having an opening through which the lug projects to limit, the movement thereof, and a spring connected between said plate and the lug to cause said dogs to be normally projected through the housing side openings, and means on said plate and engaged with the dogs to retract them upon relative movement of the housing and the plate.

2. In a window lock, a wedge member comprising a housing having a sloping wall, a pivot lug in the housing, a pair of latch dogs on said lug and oppositely directedl to project through side openings in the housing, a plate having an opening through which the lug projects to limit the movement thereof, and a spring connected between said plate and the lug to cause said dogs to be normally projected through the housing side openings, and means on said plate and engaged with the dogs to retract them upon relative movement of the housing and the plate, said latter means comprising an abutment engaged with each dog to effect. rotational movement of the latter upon the mentioned relative movement.

3. A window lock comprising a fixed guide member having opposed spaced openings in the sides thereof and adapted to be secured to a window sash, a wedge movable on said member and having side openings, a pivot in said wedge, a pair of dogs on said pivot arranged to project through the side openings in said wedge and between the openings in said guide member, a plate fitting over said pivot and residing in said wedge, the plate and wedge being relatively movable, said plate having abutments for engagement with said dogs to retract same upon relative movement of said plate and wedge in one direction, and resilient means connecting the plate and wedge to move the same relatively in the direction to effect the normal projection of said dogs through the openings in said wedge and guide.

4.. A window lock comprising a Xed guide having opposed spaced openings along the sides thereof, said guide being secured to one window sash, a wedge movable in and along said guide and adapted to be engaged by the other window sash, a fixed pivot carried by said wedge, a pair of oppositely projecting dogs carried by the pivot and engageable in a selected pair of said openings, a member having abutments for the dogs and carried by the wedge, said wedge and pivot and the member being relatively movable, and a resilient connection between said member and pivot, whereby, upon movement of the wedge and pivot relative to said member to stretch the resilient connection, said abutments will retract the dogs :from engagement with said selected pair of openings to free the wedge and member for movement along the guide.

5. In a window lock, a wedge member comprising a housing having a sloping wall and provided with side openings, a pair of oppositely directed dogs pivoted in. said housing and normally projected through said openings and a release member within said housing and having abutments engaged with the dogs, said wedge member and release member being relatively movable, whereby, upon manual movement of the wedge member relative to the release member, the abutments of the latter will engage the dogs to retract them within the openings of the wedge member.

6. In a window lock, a wedge housing having side openings, a pair of oppositely directed dogs', a pivot in said housing forY said dogs, a plate 5 6 having abutments dening laterall openings reg- 1 istering with the openings in the housing and REFERENCES CITED having a central opening through which said The following references are of record in the pivot extends, said housing and plate being relale 0f this patent: tively movable, and a spring connecting said plate and said pivot for positioning the plate and 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS housing to register the openings in the same and Number Name Date project the dogs therethrough, said housing being 738,577 SInOnds Sept. 8, 1903 movable relative to the plate against the tension 974,696 Narahara Nov. 1, 1910 of the spring to move the dogs into rocking en- 10 1,111,585 Hunt Sept. 22, 1914 gagement with the -abutments of said plate to 1,620,749 Bartak Mar. 15, 1927 cause retraction of said dogs. 1,759,707 Paddock May 20, 1930 ROY F. EVANS. 2,122,312 Cassion June 28, 1938 

